'Ugly Betty' actress finds a happy home in L.A. / British acting couple wind up in Los Feliz area of Los Angeles

Ruth Ryon, Los Angeles Times

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, July 1, 2007

2007-07-01 04:00:00 PDT Los Angeles -- Ashley Jensen, who plays wardrobe mistress-seamstress Christina McKinney in the ABC sitcom "Ugly Betty," and her husband, actor Terence Beesley, have sewn up a deal to buy a house in Los Feliz (Los Angeles County) for close to $1.7 million.

The British couple, who met in London while appearing in a production of "King Lear," were married in Big Sur in January in a ceremony attended by only a minister and their dog, Barney, who served as ring bearer.

They purchased a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in a gated neighborhood.

The midcentury, 2,400-square-foot house is on a promontory and has city-to-ocean views. The half-acre property has parking for four cars and a 30-foot-long RV. The modern-style house, with beam ceilings, also has an entertainment deck.

Jensen, 37, was born in Scotland and had a run in the popular BBC soap "EastEnders." She later was cast in "Extras," the series on which she won British Comedy Awards, including best newcomer.

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Beesley, in his 40s, was doing some writing in the Los Angeles quarters he and Jensen rented before buying, but now that they have purchased a home, he plans to do some acting here as well. His TV and film acting credits in Britain are extensive.

French rock star
Johnny Hallyday
and his model wife, Laetitia, have leased a house in the Sunset Strip area while he records an album.

The pair paid $45,000 for a month, including a butler, a maid and a house manager.

The Sunset Strip house, built in 2005, has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms in nearly 5,700 square feet. There are pool, city and/or canyon views from almost every room.

The three-story house has an elevator and is fully appointed with art and furniture. There is an outdoor terrace and a separate guesthouse with a kitchen.

The rock star, frequently called the French Elvis, is 64. He has released more than 900 songs, including 42 gold and 20 platinum discs. In 2006, Hallyday vowed to spend at least six months of the year in Switzerland in protest of France's high taxes.

A Bel-Air (Los Angeles County) home built in 1971 for guitarist
Robby Krieger
of the Doors and recently owned by rocker
Fred Durst
is on the market at $7.9 million.

There is a wood etching of the Doors over the living-room fireplace.

The home has four bedrooms in 6,600 square feet and sits on slightly more than an acre, behind gates. It also is on a knoll with city and mountain views.

Krieger, 61, was with the Doors from 1965 to 1973. He wrote some of the band's best-known hits, including "Light My Fire."

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